Races
Silea Ravni is populated by all manner of creatures, but the most important are the ones that are sapient. Races that inhabit the world Untouched Untouched (sometimes called Freefolk, but this term is mostly used by themselves) are characterized by perhaps their lack of unique features. Humans were the first race to walk Silea Ravni in the years before language or writing. They were blank slates, and the gods of chaos saw fit to mold them. Some of the humans stayed as they were, and the term 'untouched' was a vulgar term used for humans by the other races that were once humans themselves. Time turned the vulgar word into a point of pride for the humans, and so they became the untouched. They aren't exclusively human however, and include other races like hobbits amongst their mix. They're considered the favored of The Eternal and The Wise, but the only evidence of such seems to be ease in which humans learn and rediscover magic. The untouched also outnumber all other races, and are sometimes born out of mixed race unions. Smallfolk Smallfolk are characterized by their small stature and often stocky builds. Featuring dwarves, halflings, and sometimes gnomes depending on who you ask, the smallfolk are the favored of The Hammerer and The Righteous. They say the first smallfolk were humans who had lived in caves, growing shorter over generations as they dug deeper into Silea's precious deposits. Bringing back their ores, The Hammerer taught them to smelt and make greater metals than the ores could make alone. Using these greater metals they formed armor and weapons to enforce their righteous way of life, bringing the first wars of honor and glory to Silea Ravni. These days, many dwarves have forgotten the old ways, and have turned to Armok, becoming the (often vampiric) dorfs who enforce his bloody will. Faefolk Faefolk are characterized by their touch of magic, life, and nature. From elves to fae, there's no faefolk that doesn't carry The Harvesters and The Kinds element of Life. Some say the faefolk were born of the trees themselves instead of humans, but in truth the fae and their long lives caused their history to be lost. The life that blessed their cities turned against them and rendered their fertility low. The fae that could once read the old runes and sing the old songs of history died or lost their memory. Modern fae live in isolated clusters, terrified of the undead threat and the other races that might bring them even ordinary disease. Savagefolk Savagefolk are characterized by their easily built muscle and originally, their savage ways. Orcs and ogres are the most common kinds of savagefolk, and most live by the ways of The Just and The Warrior. Savagefolk-centric lands live by submission to their elders, duty to their ancient laws, and protecting their lands from any who might bear arms against them. Modern savagefolk are incredibly rare, having been chased out of the deserts and mesas they once called home centuries ago. Stereotypes against savagefolk depict them as violent and mindless, and the stereotyping has become a self-fulfilling prophecy over the years. Beastfolk Beastfolk are characterized by their animal traits, generally avian or mammalian. Most of the beastfolk praise The Beast, as is their namesake, but they're also favored by aThe Wretched, who causes the bloodlust and feral behavior many beastfolk are known for. Beastfolk range from anthropomorphic animals, to those with as few features as just possessing animal ears or an animal tail. There's also stranger kinds, such as the tauric bodies of the centaurs, or the strange bat-winged demons. The beastfolk are so varied as to lack much cultural identity, but stereotypes refer to them as 'degenerate'. It's said that The Beast, dissatified with the beastfolk's limited reach, created werewolves so that it's control and reach could spread across racial lines. Surilian Avians Suriilians resemble humanoid birds. The average specimen stands about five feet tall and has a wingspan of twenty feet. Halfway along the edge of each wing is a hand with three human-sized fingers and an opposable thumb. An elongated fourth finger extends the length of the wing and locks in place during flight. The hands cannot grasp while flying, but are nearly as useful as human hands when a Suriliian is perched and its wings folded back. Their powerful legs end in four sharp talons that can unlock and fold back to reveal another pair of functional hands. These humanoids have hollow, fragile bones. Their faces combine the features of both parrots and eagles. They have gray-black beaks and black eyes. Plumage color varies, but males generally have red, orange, and yellow coloration, while females tend towards brown and gray. The Suriilians inhabit flying islands created by their supposed sky god, Harvester Bugfolk Bugfolk are characterized by their insectoid or anarchnoid traits. Anthropomorphic insects, spider-tauric arachne, and even the beetle-winged khepri are all bugfolk. The bugfolk are considered one of the least numerous races, and even in the days when the chaos gods were strong, The Stranger rarely blessed a human with such a form. Modern bugfolk are often just as secretive as their ancient counterparts, but many curse their forms and revere The Hunter who gladly guides them to the prey that hides in bugfolk burrows. Most other races consider the bugfolk disgusting to even behold and refuse to trade with them, which has led the social bugfolk to integrate into the few places that accept them. Merfolk Merfolk are characterized by their fish or amphibian traits. If it's comfortable surviving in water, it's likely a merfolk. Mermaids, sirens, boggies, and grippli are common kinds of merfolk. Merfolk are one of the races that have lost the least of their culture. The plagues that ravaged the surface did little to their undersea lands, though The Lovely and The Serene still lost their power regardless. Merfolk are often vain, lazy, and nomadic, though if it's simply a stereotype remaining of their ancestors, or something imposed by the gods that favor them, is unknown. Sailors often desire merfolk wives, and the interbreeding of other races with merfolk has diminished their numbers to the point where the merfolk have a large anti-ship faction that leads sailors to their doom upon hidden rocks. Lizardfolk Lizardfolk are characterized by their reptilian traits. Kobolds, lizardmen, dragonborn, and saurans are all types of lizardfolk. Lizardfolk aren't all cold-blooded, but most of them have an unnerving obsession with shiny things and tight burrows. Lizardfolk cities are often grand works to last the ages, and what remains in their old ruins tell (very racist) stories of ancient Silea Ravni and a lost god called 'The Bignosed'. These ancient ruins are often squalid as well, proving the lizardfolk have always had their innate disease resistance. Modern lizardfolk attribute themselves to The Digger and The Builder despite lacking evidence of their favor, but few would openly argue such a thing with the crafty lizardfolk. Many weapons of war like the catapult or cannon can be traced back to their lizardfolk origins, and the lizardfolk love to invent even (often destructive) greater things. Undead Undead are undead. That's it. That's the only qualifier. Flesh or no flesh, if it's dead and came back, it's probably an undead. The undead are favored by The Finite and The Forgotten, though most undead only care about The Forgotten. Zombie, skeletons, liches, and mummies are all undead, but they do have to be sapient to qualify. If it can't say hello or wave back, it's likely not sapient. Category:Current Category:Lore Category:Race